Wednesday, September 9, 2009

You would be shocked at how many times a day we get comments and emails like this one regarding Target and their coupon policy:

Hi Krazy Coupon Lady,

I had a quick question for you. Today my mother went to target and tried to use some manufacturer coupons. She tried to use them on the travel items in order to get them for free. When she presented the coupons to the cashier she said that they could not accept them because they were for more than the price of the item. Example: She tried to use a $1 Manufacturer Coupon for tide on a travel size that was selling for $.94. She looked at the coupon and it said any tide product. There was no size restrictions or anything. When asked why they couldn't accept the coupon the cashier asked the manager to come to her line and the manager preceded to tell my mother that they couldn't accept the coupons. I have read on your blog and others that you can use manufacturer coupons and store coupons on travel items to get them for free. Has anyone else ran into this problem? Is there an official store policy? When my wife and I used coupons at target on a separate trip they allowed us to use them although the coupons were worth more than the price of the item. Also on your post about getting target cereal for free or cheap, it said to get target to price match the walgreens ad, but in your store policies section it says target will not price match. Will they price match or will they not?Thank you for your time

So here it is:

Target Stores MUST accept a coupon for $1 if the item rings up at $.94, but they do not give overage, they just adjust the coupon down. Here is verbatim what their policy says: "We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item; in this case, we're able to adjust the value of the coupon to equal the price of the item."

Go HERE for the Official Store Policy, or better yet, request your very own copy by emailing corporate.

Target does Match Competitor Prices. Just bring in their ad, and they will match the price on the EXACT item.

Lastly AND MOST IMPORTANTLY Target has this to say: "All Target stores should be following the same coupon policy. The next time you have an issue using coupons please have them call us at (800) 440-0680 while you're still in the store. Our Guest Relations Team will help assist with any questions they may have about coupons." If you run into a problem like this KCG mentions in their question, and the manager is refusing your coupon (especially on a trial size item when there is NO size restriction) have the manager call the number listed while you are still in the store. We have had a large number of you do this, with great success. Corporate will explain to their manager that you are correct! Please insist that the manager call EVERYTIME you have a problem. This is the only way they will start enforcing the policy correctly and consistently.

Homework Assignment.Right now:1. Grab your cell phone. (I'll wait while you do)2. Dial (800) 440-06803. Save this Number as Target Customer Relations.4. Leave a Comment, letting us know that you did it.

32 comments:

I just did! I don't normally have any problems with my local Target..but now I have it just in case. I did visit another Target in the DFW area this past weekend. I used my $1 coupon for my travel size ALL, the cashier looked at the coupon and looked around for help. His line started backing up and he just hit the magic key and moved on. :o)

i just have to tellyou that i just started couponing and last night i felt great, i went to target and pricemached 4 boxes of general mills cerial to walgreens 1.99/eci used 4/target coupons of 1/1 G cerial and 2 1/2 manufatuer couponsand brought my total to around a 1.98 for all 4 boxes i felt good!!!!!

I hate couponing at my target, no one there ever knows how to adjust the coupon down, and when I show them policy they just push it through for overage anyways. On top of that, they actually got rid of the phone by CS so they can't call in any problems unless I hand over my phone. It's really not worth the hassle most of the time.

I just saved the number...wish I had it yesterday. My Orlando Target would not allow me to use coupons for cereal bowls or market cheese...the manager said they were for the boxes of cereal & bags of cheese (I was purchasing the small sizes). When I pointed out that the coupon does not specify a size, she stated that the picture reflects a box/bag! (so frustrating!)

I have so many issues with all the Targets in my area it just takes alot out of me to even go into one! I actually called CS and they mailed me an official coupon policy. This I can say worked one time for me and it was even a headache. I actually went and tried a target a little further from my house and took my handicap mother with me along with my toddler. I did my moms items first on a transaction and then myself on a seperate. They did not hassle my mother with her coupons( which were mine that i let her have). When it was my turn well lets just say i could have set up camp there for how long it took in line. The cashier was rude and not helpful. she refused to accept my coupons that made items free...said it was not right. It is basically stealing from target she added. I said call a manager and he too refused but i whipped out the Q policy and it still was not working when i said can i please call CS the cashier told me there is a pay phone ouside!!!!! I buy alot of TS items and send to my fam in IRAQ/AFGHAN. She was questioning every TS item asking u send this to ur fam in IRAQ? Really rude. Needless to say i can go on and on about everything that happened. It took an hour and a half in line and i was only able to purchase half of the items i originally had. Not only did they say my mom stole bc she used the same Q's and ran out with the items! My mom cant run! It was just a nightmare! I called CS that next day and the man i spoke to really just wanted to give me a ref. number and be done with it. He did not want to hear hw we were treated. they just said we are sorry and we will take action but that is what they always say and nothing ever gets addressed or done! I just give up! Burned to many times!

Thanks for the number! Saved it... I always have problems with my target...(orem and american fork) all the cashier are so rude except one! she is so sweet and always trys to help me out.. I really believe in profiling the cashiers as bad as that sounds it usually works for me!

Wow Nicole, that is really unfortunate! My brother has just served in Iraq, and it is completely inappropriate for your cashier to make cutting remarks to you.

I say take names every time. Every cashier has a manager, and every store manager has a district manager. A lot of times corporate gets frustrated receiving calls about in store debacles, but trust me, a district manager will be far more likely to get to the bottom of a problem in one of their stores. My sister is a district manager for another retail company, and has had her share of frustrated customers calling her over the bahavior of her employees. She loves that people let her know what is going on in her stores since she can't possibly be in all of them at once, but she hates the calls enough to DO SOMETHING about it.

The next time you run into an inappropriate situation at a retail store and the store manager is just as ridiculous as the cashier you've been dealing with, ask the store manager for their name, and the name and phone number for their district manager. A lot of times it's a cell phone number ... imagine how annoying it is to get angry customers calling your cell phone! They'll fix it if they want to stop getting calls from disgruntled customers.

While I understand people's frustrations, and feeling burnt out, I think it's important to follow through, and see to it that these things are reported. If the people in the stores can not change their attitudes or education on their own company's policies, then maybe they need to go. In this economy there are thousands of people out of work who I'm sure would love to be paid to be nice to customers, and do a job well done.

I did it! Again, I don't have all kinds of problems with my local Targets, but now I'm armed and dangerous!

I did my very first Krazy Coupon Lady shopping trip this weekend and I was HIGH from how proud of myself I was! I bought $450 worth of groceries for $330, and at Target, I filled up the entire trunk of my SUV for only $114 (is Target EVER a two-digit trip? no!). I am so thrilled and cannot wait to keep going!!!

I have had numerous run in's with Target myself and I hardly ever shop there anymore. On one occasion they refused my coupons. I took out my copy of the coupon policy, looked at me like I was from mars and still refused to take my coupons. I called corporate when I got home to complain. I was on hold for over 15 minuets. When I finally did get someone I they could barely speak English. They put me on hold and I got hung up on. So much for me calling corporate. So now I hardly ever shop there!

I was just at Target yesterday, and while the cashier did push my coupons through, she mentioned that Target is revising its coupon policy. She didn't have details but just wanted me to know to keep my ears open for the new policy.

I always get nervous shopping at Target because others have had problems there, but I really only have to say one word to you. PROFILE. I always go to the young men, and they are always so helpful! I used the GM coupons to get the individual (94¢) bowls of cereal for free! The guy just adjusted the coupon and was really impressed!

ALSO, be nice and act like a ditz with a huge smile on your face. Okay, so maybe its a little bit of flirting, but it WORKS!

Here's my advice. You win some and you lost some. I've had disappointing times where the "scenarios" didn't work and I've had spectacular times where, yes, I did feel like I was stealing from Target. I agree that it should be simple and consistent, and certainly our feedback to Target corporate will aid them in this, but it's not worth it to totally ruin your day to save some extra money. Just keep on trying and be happy about the money you ARE saving.

When I started coupon shopping I did alot of it at target. But it is such a hassle dealing with rude cashiers that I only go now when it is a deal I just CAN'T pass up! The last time I went there were only 3 cashiers...yes I profile :)...and they all looked like cranky ladies. Well I picked the wrong one! She questioned every item I had and wouldn't let me use some...long story short she didn't even scan my manufacture coupons so the total was wrong. She called over the "manager" and when I explained that the total was incorrect he said "Your right IT SHOULD BE FREE!" I'm not the confrontational type so I just don't think it is worth it to deal with Target. Too bad because they do have some great deals with coupons...if they let you use them!! :)

I usually have no problems using coupons at Target...usually! You just learn which cashiers to go to! I went to the service desk one day to do a price match on Pop Tarts and the girl at the desk told me that she could only ring up one box at a time because the Target coupon says "limit one offer per transaction." Here's where I was confused. It says one "offer" not one coupon. I'm not really sure what one offer even means. I told her that I had never had a problem with any of the other cashiers using more than one at a time but she was very insitant on doing it, so I bit my tongue and said fine, but it just makes more work for you. At the end of the transaction I told her thank you and she said to me "We have to stick to our guns and follow the rules or you people will walk all over us." Ummmmm, "you people"?!?! What did she mean by that?? I was so mad. I have not used any other Target coupons at the store since then and I will DEFINATELY avoid Tera's line at all costs next time I'm in there! They really need to learn their policy and stop making up their own rules!!

Done. Thanks for making me put that in my cell phone. When I spoke with Target Corp. they also said that Target stores should be enforcing ONE uniform policy--not up to the mngrs discretion. However, a letter I saw from corporate said that Target Mngrs can limit the number of items purchased. Do you have any input on that? Thnx.

I have had the same problem at Walgreen's... they won't honor coupons for a penny over the price. So I took their coupon across the street to CVS, they honored it, took my coupons and adjusted them so they wouldn't exceed the sale price, thanked me for coming in, and told me I could always do this.

My Target in CDA gave me trouble today. I tried to use $1/Tide and although the manager honored it at $0.97 she said that come the 21st or 23rd of this month their cash registers were going to be updated and they would not be adjusting the price on any coupons. If it didn't ring through, it would not be honored. I asked what was changing, the coupon policy or the cash registers would start honoring the price automatically, and she couldn't answer me. She just kept stating that I "wouldn't get away with this after the 21st or so of this month." I told her I wasn't trying to "get away" with anything, that I was abiding by Target's policy. She said just know that after the 21st I wouldn't be allowed to do this again. She also said too many "people" were abusing the system. I guess I was one of those "people," standing right in front of her! Tomorrow I plan on calling to find out what was changing, but I thought I'd update for now. Thanks, Randi

Thanks for the number! I am here in Houston and the only coupon-blogger that I know of so luckily, I don't have any problems with using my coupons even when it dings. I do have to say i was not aware that CVS will honor the Walgreens coupons. I will have to find out more about that. Thanks!thegrocerygeek.net

So, what do I get for not doing my homework? The worst Target experience I've ever had!I tried doing the Fiber One cereal deal, and they said I could use the coupons only once. I had a 5 Target coupons and 5 manufacturers coupon and my cashier called the manager because she didn't know about coupons. Well, the manager came and said I couldn't use the manufacturers coupon because they've been having a lot of trouble with coupon FRA-OOD (fraud). I told them to forget the transaction and decided to go onto the next one.Again, my cashier had to get the manager and I decided to ask for corporate's number. I spoke to them and they kept back and forthing between the manager and me. The manager then said that I was using COPIES of the same coupon and I corrected her SEVERAL times, but she never corrected herself. I explained to corporate and the manager that they were NOT copies, and I printed them out. My phone died. The manager finally said that I could only use ONE Target coupon and ONE manufacturer coupon for each item, so I said ok, better than nothing. I took out the items that I had double of and double coupons of (so, no repeat items). It was going well until the cashier didn't know what to do with an item I had a Target coupon and a manufacturer coupon for. She asked another cashier and he called the manager. They couldn't let me use it because it didn't have a URL on it. He said that the other coupons were fine because they had a URL on them. He said that I could make copies and just print them out, he wanted the whole paper with the URL on it. I said that if you made copies, the barcode wouldn't scan, but he disagreed. After, the manager comes and takes the coupons I couldn't use out.I decided to just leave everything alone and cancel all. I asked for the manager's name and the cashier's name.To say the least, I'm VERY frustrated at the moment, and my head hurts. I spent about 2 hours at Target, almost one hour shopping, and another trying to use my coupons. To say the least, corporate's getting a NASTY phone call tomorrow.ARGH!

I had a horrid day at Target. I had my game plan all worked out. I was going to roll the Fiber One $5 gift card twice. I was told that they could only let me use one target coupon per transaction. So I could not buy the 5 boxes of cereal to get the gift card. I had to take out everything I had $/2 coupons for, because I could not stack them with two Target coupons (one for each item). So that blew my Walgreen's price matching deal on the General Mills cereal as well. They had a huge fit over adjusting coupons down. I pulled out my print out of the coupon policy and I got told it says "may adjust down" so they said they didn't have to do it. They flat refused on the manufacturer's coupon I had for arm&hammer tooth paste. They said it would be coupon fraud because they would get the full amount back from the manufacturer even though they didn't give me that much off. Even after all the arguing I managed to get $78 worth of deodorant, cereal, and granola bars for $20.

I just put it in my phone. I wish I had it last night. I usually have no problems at target but last night they wouldn't allow me to use the target cheese coupon (because it had to be the cheese in the pic) and wouldn't let me use more than one manufact coupon because it said "one per purchase" and they said it was the came as "one per transaction" and to top it all off.. I tried to use the glade scented oil candle buy one get a free refill (up to 3.49) I was told that because the refill was on sale for 2.50 this week I would have to come back to use the coupon when the price returned to 3.49. They couldn't adjust it down because it was on sale. Hello?... The coupon says "up to" 3.49.

after an hour shopping and 30 minutes trying to check out. I abandoned everything and just left. I have never had a single problem before last night and the manager was the one telling me all this.

I work at target, and yes the cashier has to accept the coupon. He or she can adjust the price in thier ( what we call the "K" Menu). we do price matching too. You have to take your ad from whatever other store to the guest service desk... a cashier can do nothing about price matching.... and they will fix it. It has to be the same product though. for example you cannot get a price match on a walmart brand item and a target brand item... only the exact same item.

Followers

Come on Webster, make it a verb!

Couponing: [koo-pon-ing, Kyoo-] (v.) the practice of redeeming discount coupons in order to save money.Couponer: [koo-pon-er, kyoo-] (n.) A person who collects and saves coupons to redeem them on products, such as groceries.